Hiclass Flash wins the 18th running of the G2
Oklahoma Horsemen’s Association Derby
Hiclass Flash won the G2 O.H.A. Paint Derby by a neck on June 25 at Fair Meadows
at Tulsa, finishing the 350-yard race with a time of 17.53 seconds. Hiclass
Flash is a 3-year-old bay solid Paint-bred gelding by Royal Quick Flash and out
of Easy Barbarella AQHA, by Easy Jet. The gelding is owned by Larry Spurlock of
Inola, Oklahoma, and was bred by Larry Steele and Bill Palmieri. Hiclass Flash
earned $16,675 of the $36,500 purse, making his total earnings exceed $48,865.
Hiclass Flash earned a speed index of 95 under the guidance of trainer Dee
Keener and jockey Tony Bennett.
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Hiclass Flash wins the Oklahoma Horesmen's Association Derby.
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Second across the wire was San Mateo Chick, a 3-year-old sorrel solid Paint-bred gelding
by Agouti AQHA and out of Judys Chicklet, by Olympia Joe. He is owned and bred
by the long-time partnership of Charles Trochta and Sammy Hester of Tulsa,
Oklahoma. He is trained by Sammy Hester as was ridden by Larry Payne. He
finished the race with a time of 17.57 seconds and earned $7,800 to make his
lifetime earnings $105,961.
Finishing third was the sorrel solid Paint-bred mare, Sayonara ran the race in
17.66 seconds earning $5,725 to make her lifetime earnings $71,627. She is owned
and trained by Dee Keener of Inola, Oklahoma, and was bred by Shari Burger of
Jay, Oklahoma. G.R. Carter, Jr. was the jockey.
Other horses completing the race, along with times, include Ooh Shez Special
(17.73 seconds), Dodacious (17.74 seconds), Onlytreasureofmine (17.82 seconds),
Azel D (17.92 seconds), I Kick (18.27 seconds) and Iba Goodun (18.32 seconds).
More about Paint Horse racing
Horse racing has long been one of America’s favorite spectator sports. With the
recent growth of the Paint Horse breed, it’s no wonder that Paints have become
one of the hottest tickets in the horse racing industry.
Since 1966, when APHA officially recognized the sport, Paint racing has made
major strides forward. In that inaugural year, 17 starters ran for $1,290 in
just two states—Texas and Oklahoma. In 2009, more than 540 starters competed in
more than 530 APHA-recognized races for record purses totaling more than $4.7
million.
A total of 17 states now feature Paint racing, including Arizona, California,
Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota,
Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. Paint
Horses also race in Canada.
"With a wealth of top performing Paint racehorses, dedicated owners and
talented trainers and jockeys, Paint Racing continues to remain a strong program
in the horse industry," said APHA Executive Director Lex Smurthwaite. "Paint
Racing enthusiasts recognized the amount of purse money available and have
jumped in to take advantage of the lucrative payouts."
For more information on Paint Horse racing, contact APHA’s racing department at
(817) 222-6444, email racing@apha.com, or
visit paintracing.com.